Flying-machine structure



C. DORNIER.

FLYING MACHINE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 28. 1920.

1,430,220. I Patented p 26, 1922 2/ In venTon- Wm M.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

UNITED STATES CLAUDIUS DORNIER, OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY.

FLYING-MACHINE STRUCTURE.

Application filed June 28,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDIUs DORNIER, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at F riedrichshafen, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machine Structures (for which I have made application in Germany, dated Sept. 10, 1916), of which the following is a specification. a

My invention relates to flying machines and its particular object is a method ofconstructing and reinforcin or staying their supporting planes. In orc er to simplify the construction of the frame work of the flying machine, as also to overcome the injurious effect exerted by the stay ropes relatively to the air resistance, there have already been constructed flying machines in the case of which all stay ropes were omitted that were liable to be exposed to the head wind. The method has also been resorted to of arranging a large number of the cross-beams of supporting planes after the manner ofpolygonal pyramids i. e. allowing their ends to meet at one point, in order to obtain a supporting deck frame of special resisting ca pacity. By these said means it has indeed been rendered partially possible to obtain the object desired without requiring the supporting planes to be stayed or reinforced by aid of stay wires or diagonal stays or trusses.

Notwithstanding the entire absence of any outer supports for the wings is bound to produce a great want of safety, so that, in the majority of cases, stays continue to be employed, even as in the past, in order to facilitate the work of fitting the parts together. However, in spite of all it has so far been impossible to obtain by aid of the known methods of construction, a perfectly satisfactory way of mounting and fixing the supporting plane to the hull, and vice versa, which will readily stand subsequent static tests. f The present invention aims at overcoming the aforementioned defects, in that, by aid of the least possible number of cross beams and stays and by the advantageous manner of connecting the same, there is obtained a simple and definite form of construction complying with full static requirements.

In the case of the flying machine accord ing to this invention, each section of the supporting plane is provided with two cross beams having a common point of intersec- 1920. Serial No. 392,543.

tion. From the .said point of intersection of the cross-beams, forming the frame of the supporting plane, there arises a truss which acts as an intermediate support. The two addltional supports are formed by. the points where the two cross beamsare joined to the hull of the flying machine.

In this manner, it will be observed, there will be required in the case of a monoplane but one truss and two cross beams for each side. There is thus obtained, besides a simple, statically satisfactory construction (the calculation of which is particularly easy) of those members, which serve to transmit the stress of the entire system, the least weight possible, and the slightest frontal resistance. But besides this, the op eration of mounting and dismounting the supporting planes is very much facilitated. The intersecting two cross-beams transmit, conjointly with the truss, all the forces act ing on the plane section on to the hull.

In order to enable the several forces acting on the surfaces to be taken up in a satis factory manner, ribs are joined to the cross beams. will be obtained by interposing intermediate joists, lodged at the cross beams between these latter and the said, ribs.

The invention is applicable with like ad- A specially favorable connection vantage to multiple-deck aeroplanes. In J this case, each supporting 'olane section may be connected immediately with the hull by means of a rod or stay fixed at the point of intersection of the two cross beams. However, the simplicity of the static structure I will be maintained, and the frontal resistance still more reduced on the points of intersection ofthe crossbeams, belonging to the second and third surface sections, re-

spectively, not being connected by means of a 1 long stay or truss directly to the hull, but by a somewhat shorter stay or truss to the point of intersection of the first surface section. On the other hand, in the case of very big spans, the upper crossbeams besides being stayed or trussed up at their point of inter section (which is disposed comparatively far to the outside), may be additionally stayed, and this more tothe inward, by means of intermediate trusses, Besides this, it will cross beams beyond the point of intersection, say, about as far as the tip of the wing.

Various structures embodying the subject matter of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

In the drawings- Figs. 1 to 3 are front and side elevations and a plan, respectively, of a monoplane,

Figs. 4: to 6 corresponding views of a biplane,

Figs. 7 and 8 a trout and side elevation, respectively, of one section of a large sized biplane, and

Fig. 9 a plan of a flying machine having strongly tapering supporting planes.

In the case of the monoplane according to Figs. 1 to 3, the frame of each section or half oi the supporting plane is formed by two intersecting cross beams Z) and 0 fixed tothe hull. A; truss (1 runs along a vertical plane, from the point of intersection. s of the cross beams, which is disposed at the outside portion of the supporting plane sec tion, to the hull of the flying machine.

In the case of the biplane according to Figs. t to 6, the upper supporting planes are trussed up in the same manner as described above relatively to the monoplane. The lower, smaller planes are likewise fitted out with two intersecting cross beams f and g. The points of intersection t and a, corresponding to the cross beams 6 c and f, g, are disposed vertically below each other, each lower plane being supported relatively to the upper by a perpendicular truss or stay 6. The cross beams Z2 0 of each upper supporting plane are provided with intermediate joists h and 2", which serve as intermedi ate bearings for the ribs (not shown) to which the outer skin is fixed.

In the case of the large sized flying machineillustrated by Figs. 7 and 8, the supporting planes are primarily trussed up in the same way as that described with reference to the flying machine according to Figs. 4- and 6. But, besides this, the large upper plane, the point of intersection for the cross beams of which is disposed rather far to the outside, may be further trussed up by intermediate truss members is and Z, respectively, runningv from the center of the main truss ta on the one hand, to the center, and, on the other, to the hull-end portion of each cross beam.

In the structure according to Fig. 9, merely the front cross beam 6 is extended beyond the point of intersection of the cross beams, while the rear beam 0 stops at said point.

In the case of all the structures hereinbefore described, the main stays a, a a are lodged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the flying machine, and thence run from the points of intersection of the cross beams downwards to the hull of the flying apparatus. This arrangement will be found to be the most advantageous relatively to the strains to Which the structure is subjected. Notwithstanding, the arrangement may be modified, and instead of running the main stays diagonally downwards, they may be made to run diagonally upwards; further they may be disposed otherwise than at right angles to the longitudinal. axis of the flying machine.

I claim 1. In a flying machine in combination, a supporting plane, a pair of cross beams extending from the hull substantially diagonally across said supporting plane so as to meet in one point and a stay obliquely extending between said hull and the meetingpoint of said cross-bean'is.

2. In a flying machine in combination, a supporting plane, a pair of cross beams extending from the hull substantially diagonally across said supporting plane so as to intersect each other and a stay obliquely extending between said hull and the point of intersection of said cross beams.

3. In a multiple-deck flying machine in combination, a plurality of superposed supporting planes, a pair of cross beams extending from the hull substantially diagonally across each supporting plane so as to ntersect each other, a stay obliquely extending between said hull and the point of intersection of the cross beams of the upper supporting planes, and an upright stay connecting the points of intersection of the cross beams of the superposed supporting planes.

l. In a multiple-deck flying machine in combination, a plurality of superposed supporting planes, a pair of cross beams extending from the hull substantially diagonally across each supporting plane so as to intersect each other, a stay obliquely extending between said hull and the point oi intersection of the cross beams of the upper supporting planes, an upright stay connectmg the points of intersection of the cross beams of the superposed supporting planes and auxiliary stays connecting the middle of said oblique stay with the bases and with points intermediate between the bases and the point of intersection, respectively, of the cross beams of the upper supporting plane.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

'CLALUDIUS Bosnian. 

